How to make Korean Mung Bean Sprout Cucumber Salad

by Holly Beyondkimchee on Fri, Feb 26, 2016

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Mung bean sprouts are popular for salad making and easy to find in many grocery stores all over the world. Here is one simple Korean side dish made with mung bean sprouts and cucumber (숙주 오이나물, sookju-ooi namool). It is refreshingly light and quick to make.

Mung bean sprouts offer many health benefits with their good quality plant-based protein, vitamin C, and vitamin K. You can eat them raw, but you have to be very careful how it is stored. Because the sprouts grow in warm, moist conditions, they have a high risk of bacterial contamination, which can cause food poisoning. It is advisable to consume cooked mung bean sprouts. Use for stir-fries, salad, and even smoothies. Here is a very simple yet delicious mung bean sprouts stir-fry recipe on my blog if you are interested.

This salad recipe is my family's favorite way of enjoying mung bean sprouts. You get to eat a large quantity with this salad, which is a good thing!

Bring a pot of water to boil, add the mung bean sprouts, and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Gently squeeze out the excess water.

Thinly slice the cucumber diagonally and toss with a little bit of salt. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

Typically Korean salads are often served as a side dish that you can eat with rice and other meaty main dishes or stews. You can serve as is for simple appetizer. Either way, this mung bean and cucumber salad will be light and refreshingly delicious. Very low in calories—I bet you can consume a great amount in one sitting. Delicious!

~ Holly

Korean Mung Bean Sprouts and Cucumber Salad

serves 4-6 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 packet (about 1/2 lb) mung bean sprouts

1 small English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thin diagonally

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoon Korean soy sauce for soup

1-2 teaspoon Korean chili flakes

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to boil, add the sprouts and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Gently squeeze out to remove extra water. Set aside.

Meanwhile toss the cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and set aside for 5-10 minutes until softened. Squeeze out the cucumber slices gently to remove some water. Set aside.